


Beloved Outsider

by matsukawas



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Birthday, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 10:14:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30087537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matsukawas/pseuds/matsukawas
Summary: Sebek thinks everyone forgot his birthday. Obviously, he is wrong. Everyone loves their big thunder boy!
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	Beloved Outsider

**Author's Note:**

> *note that this fic was written before his birthday card, so there's no mention of his family.

"Young Master! Are you going out?"

Sebek stood at the top of the staircase and watched Malleus Draconia, the next King of the faeries, preparing to leave Diasomnia Dorm. He looked otherworldly with a fancy, tight black suit, which hinted he was most likely heading back to the Valley of Thorns to take on some royal duties.

"Good morning, Sebek." Malleus said, soft voice echoing in the empty lounge, "Indeed, I have some business to attend to back in the castle. I suppose I'll be back in time for dinner."

Any other day, Sebek would have been delighted to be able to view his master first thing in the morning. He woke up early – too excited and fidgety to get any decent sleep – and it was just the two of them in the wide room, their only other company being Lilia's tiny bat familiars that flew around once in a while.

But seeing Malleus standing at the door that led to the Mirror Gate made Sebek feel a strange pinch in his chest, as though his heart was stabbed by thousands of nails. Because why was Malleus leaving without his guards, and today of all days?

"I will accompany you!" Sebek raised his voice. Deep inside, he knew it wasn't possible, but the words came out of his mouth before he could swallow them back. "I cannot let you go unguarded!"

Malleus smiled, "Thank you, but it is fine. Besides, I got leaving permission for just one person, you see."

Sebek was visibly dejected - he wasn't very good at keeping his poker face – his usually dignified shoulders slumping, so Malleus added, "It really is just a minor business, I will return soon." And with no further explanations, he turned and left, disappearing through the Mirror, his servant watching his tall back with an "it's-the-end-of-the-world" expression on his face.

Sebek had no choice but to accept his defeat. Being unable to be by his master's side and perform his duty as his guard was an unbearable feeling for a servant. However he wouldn't do a foolish thing as still insisting when Malleus made it clear his company wasn't needed. And the fae was right, Sebek really couldn't miss a school day without getting permission beforehand. But there was another issue that made Sebek feel more miserable than usual – it was a special day for him, and yet Malleus failed to mention anything about it.

Sebek shook his head. His master must be busy. Maybe it has simply escaped his mind. Yes, that must have been the reason. Sebek knew how awfully busy Malleus could get sometimes – the title of the crown prince didn’t come without some labor. So he decided to endure it for the time being and move on. Try to, in any case.

Soon enough, the lounge started to get gradually crowded, filling with Diasomnia Dorm students who came to catch a small breakfast before heading for another school day. Even Lilia and Silver arrived at some point, and seeing them there was a rare sight, as both of them weren't early risers, especially not the silver-haired human. Sebek approached them, greeting them (or more precisely, Lilia) with a good morning. They both replied with a "good morning" of their own, but the conversation hasn't developed much from that point.

"I saw the Young Master leaving this morning." Sebek tried once more.

"Oh, did you?" Lilia yawned, "Tomorrow is the Night Raven College anniversary, so he will be back by then, do not worry."

Sebek was not worried, not about that anyway. They kept talking a bit more - after all, nothing could keep Lilia quiet - but neither he nor Silver have told Sebek what he wished to hear the most on that specific morning.

Sebek felt that stab in his chest again. He didn’t want to believe it, but the possibility started to seem more likely the more he exchanged words with others.

Did everyone forget his birthday?

*****

Sebek was supposed to be studying with the other first years, but he simply couldn't keep his focus, which was very untypical of him. Usually he was the one to loudly encourage the others to study – and he should be doing the same now, since they were talking about the preparations for the school anniversary instead – but he was failing to do so himself, his eyes scanning the words of his textbook but his mind refusing to register them.

His thoughts were somewhere else entirely. And it was so bad that even Ace, the person who usually lazed around the most during their studying sessions despite being quite witty, has shown concern towards Sebek and his unproductiveness. To Sebek, it almost sounded like he was being _scolded_ , and as Malleus Draconia's servant he shouldn’t allow a human to talk to him like that, but he was too dejected to tell Ace off – which made the first years more worried in turn.

His mind kept going back to the morning, replaying his meetings with the three most important people to him in Night Raven College, and out of it too. And how every single one of them failed to congratulate him for his birthday.

_Maybe he wasn't as important to them as they were to him._

It took a few moments for Sebek to realize the horrible thing that has just popped into his mind. He shook his head forcefully (attracting weirded-out glances from his friends), as though trying to physically throw the thought out of his head.

But it wasn't so easy. It seemed as though his thoughts had lives of their own, and they kept haunting him, leading him around by the nose, taking Sebek's mind to recall something that happened yesterday evening.

He was fresh out of the shower when he heard quiet voices, whispers of people who didn't wish to be heard. It didn’t take him too long to realize the voices were familiar. And indeed, Malleus, Lilia and Silver were talking in the corridor, just beyond the corner where Sebek had to turn in order to get to his room.

His first instinct was to rush to their place, wishing to be part of their secretive conversation. But the tiny droplets that dripped on his nape from his still slightly wet hair made him stop in his tracks, and good thing he did so. He almost showed himself in front of the Young Master with this lousy get-up! He absolutely cannot let that happen, and luckily he was able to avoid a horribly embarrassing situation just in time. He let out a little sigh of relief, and after his initial stress passed, he turned to take a peek at them, hiding in the shadows of his part of the corridor. He had to avoid Malleus seeing him in this state, but his curiosity got the better of him.

Malleus, Lilia and Silver stood under the green light of idly floating candles, forming a circle. They talked in extremely low voices, so Sebek couldn’t tell the content of their conversation, but he could hear the excitement in their tones, and even some soft giggles that escaped their lips. Even a stranger could tell they were having fun with their little secret meeting. But Sebek wasn't invited. And for some reason, Sebek felt… left out.

There was a fleeting ache in his chest, and he placed his hand just above his heart, trying to make it go away. He retreated deeper into the shadows of the corridor, trying to erase what he has just seen from his mind, but the picture of the three most important people to him laughing with each other was framed in his head, refusing to leave.

Sebek might have been a bit simple-minded and awkward at times, but even he could tell when his presence wasn't needed. He was pretty sure that even if his hair was neatly brushed back like it usually was, he still wouldn't be able to brag into their conversation. Because those three were surrounded by an invisible barrier of closeness and intimacy no one could breach. An intimacy saved only for individuals who spent so much of their lives together they were basically family, with ties stronger than any blood relations. And Sebek wasn't part of that family.

Sure, he did know them for a long time now, and they did treat him kindly. Even Silver was relatively nice to him, when he had all the reasons to despise Sebek. The younger boy wasn't giving the silver-haired human the bare minimum of respect after all. Yet despite all that, Sebek has always felt like an outsider. Like he could never truly be part of that special intimacy the other three shared, never could enter that circle. And no matter how much he tried to push these thoughts away, they always came back, returning to haunt him whenever he looked at them from afar, realizing he still didn’t belong with them. Some days, he was certain he could never be part of their family.

It was no wonder then that they would forget his birthday.

*****

Sebek stayed behind in the library, thinking he could make up for his lack of concentration earlier. But his mind was still as blank as the notebook page in front of him, which was supposed to be filled with homework but remained empty.

Though his attempts to concentrate weren't successful, he was surprised at how fast time flew by – it was already dark outside, and the library was nearly empty. His friends have left some time ago – he couldn’t tell how long ago it was – and though they did look concerned for him, they didn’t pry, and Sebek was honestly grateful for that. He didn't wish to share his feelings with anyone, and he didn’t want their pity, or their fake happy birthday greetings once they find out there was no one to celebrate for him.

Sebek closed his textbook and notebooks, way too forcefully, creating loud noise as the papers met. He should go back to the Dorm soon. The Young Master might be back from his errands, and Sebek should be there to guard him. Maybe he would even be able to greet him as he came back.

Right, Sebek had no need for birthday parties. He had a grand mission a few had the honor to take – protecting the next King of the Valley of Thorns. He couldn't pay heads to such earthly matters as birthdays. He was a fool for feeling dejected over something as petty as that.

He left the library, feeling slightly better. But out of the depths of his mind, the image of those three laughing and smiling without him kept emerging. The fact that it was happening pointed at his inexperience. But it also pointed at his biggest yearning – a place to belong to. To be a part of their family. He realized that he couldn't keep such powerful emotions at bay. He would probably feel like that in the future too. But the least he could do was preventing them from interrupting with his duties.

Diasomnia Dorm felt colder than usual that evening. And emptier too. He chose to walk by foot, and as he walked on the natural stone bridge that led to the castle that served as their Dorm, he noticed there wasn't light in most of the windows, and there wasn't anyone in the area near the gates, except for two guards. Sebek didn't mind the cold, and the lack of people was also in his favor – made it easier to spot suspicious individuals or intruders. He passed by the guards without saying a word, although he felt their eyes were following him, gazing at him for a bit too long. Any other day, he would've sent them a glare of his own, but he was too tired to pull something like that.

Sebek could already tell it from outside, and indeed the inside of the Dorm was just as empty. So empty it was almost strange… and suspicious. He must be getting paranoid, Sebek told himself, and he made his way to the lounge, that from his place looked dark and silent, not a single candle burning inside. He did return late today, but not _that_ late – there should still be Dorm members in the lounge, eating dinner. He tried to think logically – which was his specialty – and got to the conclusion that his poor emotional state wasn't making him paranoid – the whole situation definitely wasn't normal. He opened the door carefully and peeked inside.

Something exploded. Sebek closed his eyes, the loud sound startling him. Colorful lights flashed in front of him, making the black of his eyelids light in different colors. He opened his eyes, and he soon realized what has happened.

Someone cast a firework spell, and they were exploding around the room, making it slightly brighter with their fiery shapes. The fireworks were beautifully shaped and colored, and they were spread neatly around the room – as to not cause a fire – which meant they were not cast by an amateur. And thanks to their light, Sebek could see another thing – the room was filled with people. There was another loud sound, this time several sounds, and a moment later Sebek was covered with tiny, colorful confetti papers. The candles in the lounge came back to life all at once, and Sebek looked at the people before him through the fog of confetti.

Everyone was there. Every single Diasomnia Dorm student. His friends from his grade. And of course, his found-family. They approached him now – Silver and Lilia holding green party poppers, and Malleus, still wearing his fancy black suit from earlier that day, was holding his magical pen, swinging it in tiny motions, controlling the fireworks in the room.

"Surprise!" Lilia grinned. And Sebek was indeed surprised, standing motionless at the door, trying to find the words, but ending up with nothing. It was a surprise party. Just for him.

"Father, I told you it was a bad idea. Sebek is completely gone."

"I-I'm fine!" Sebek said, his voice louder than he intended – which wasn't quite unusual, really. There was no way Lilia-sama's ideas were bad, after all, "I was just… surprised a bit, that is all!"

"It was a great success then!" Lilia couldn't hold his laughter any longer, "You really didn't suspect anything, did you? My, what am I going to do with you!" Lilia wiped the tears from his eyes as he stepped closer to Sebek, and placed both hands on Sebek's arms. Though his hands were tiny, his grip was powerful, and Sebek directed his attention fully to his old master.

"Happy birthday, sweet child."

Sebek felt the tears tingling his eyes. He hoped the confetti that still spun around in the air would hide them – but it was pointless. Before long, big tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Hey, I know you're an emotional child, but no crying today!" Lilia scolded him, "Malleus prepared a wonderful party, it would be wise to enjoy it."

Sebek inhaled sharply, and turned to look at Malleus, "Young Master, could it be that…"

"Correct," Malleus giggled, a somewhat mischievous smile on his face, "I returned to the Valley of Thorns to get all the materials we needed for the party."

At that point Sebek was crying so hard there was no chance he would be able to get out a single word. To think the Young Master went out of his way to arrange a party just for him…! There was no greater honor than that. He was just a mere servant and yet…

"Come now, Sebek," Lilia urged him to move from the entrance, "Go and grab something to eat, there's plenty of your favorite food. There's cake too, of course!"

Sebek sniffed and nodded. His emotions were a mess – the transition from feeling dispirited to feeling immense joy was so abrupt he didn’t quite know how to deal with it. So he decided to do as Lilia said and go grab something to eat. As he passed through the room, his Dorm mates yelled calls of "happy birthday" and "congrats" after him, looking satisfied the surprise party was a success. The first years waited for him near the buffet, the plates in their hands filled to the brim with food, and they congratulated him as well, not before they teased him a bit about how he was surprised to tears.

Of course, they didn’t know Sebek's tears weren’t just a result of him being surprised. They were also tears of relief.

Sebek was cutting himself a slice of cake when someone stepped next to him, and even in his messed state, he could tell it was Silver, his presence way too familiar to Sebek's liking. He was holding a juice-filled glass and observed Sebek for a few long moments, and when he concluded everything seemed to be fine, he turned his eyes away, a tiny smile on his face.

"What are you smiling for?" Sebek asked, after he made sure his sniffling calmed down.

"I was worried the surprise was too much for you, but I'm glad to see you're energetic enough to eat."

Sebek scowled, then tried to say something, but only incomprehensible mumbles came out, and Silver stared at him, waiting for him to get himself together and try again.

"…I thought you forgot about my birthday." Sebek managed to say at last, his voice untypically quiet.

Silver's eyes grew wide briefly, and then he sighed, "I suspected something like that might happen. That's why I told father I was against the idea…" he put his glass on the clothed table and looked straight into Sebek's eyes, "There's no way we will forget about your birthday. Ever."

The words were so powerful Sebek was almost certain he might crush under their weight. And Silver wasn't done yet, "Father wouldn’t forget his apprentice's birthday. And Malleus-sama wouldn't forget his guard's birthday. You're one of us, and they won't let go of you so easily."

Sebek felt like crying again, but he was able to hold the tears back this time. He decided he had no reason to cry, not anymore. He met Silver's eyes, and gave him a light smile of his own, which surprised Silver, but he seemed to accept it.

"Happy birthday, Sebek." Silver said, picked up his glass and walked away. Sebek watched his back getting further away until he stopped next to Lilia and Malleus. He immediately joined their conversation and their merry giggles. Sebek looked at them, but this time he saw no imaginary barrier anymore. That circle suddenly looked very inviting and warm, welcoming him in.

Sebek took a step forward, and hurried to join them.

**Author's Note:**

> happy birthday sebek my love for you is unmeasurable <3  
> twitter: @k0itsuki


End file.
